Fifteen pedestrians have been hit by cars in Quincy this year, or one roughly every 2½ days. The tally from Jan. 1 through Feb. 7 appears to be the highest in several years.

By Jack Encarnacao

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Jack Encarnacao

Posted Feb. 8, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 8:08 AM

By Jack Encarnacao

Posted Feb. 8, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 8:08 AM

QUINCY

» Social News

The video shows the 55-year-old woman crossing Burgin Parkway at a decent clip, heading toward the MBTA station. Suddenly, it appears she tries to run. Then a Volvo drives through the frame, striking the woman and throwing her out of view.

“She made it almost to the other side of the street,” said Quincy police Chief Paul Keenan, who described the crash video to The Patriot Ledger. “I think she probably thought she could outrun the car.”

The Jan. 31 accident, one of two fatal accidents this year in Quincy, highlights pedestrian habits that police, the mayor and city officials are seeking to break through a forthcoming public education campaign.

“The crosswalk doesn’t provide any layer of protection from a vehicle that’s moving at the speed limit,” Keenan said. “They can’t stop on a dime. ...They (crosswalks) are not a mysterious barricade that’s going to stop a vehicle.”

The campaign will include literature, outreach meetings, television programming and possibly more signs. A visible public push will come during national Public Safety Week in April.

“We tackle our issues head-on this city, especially when it comes to public safety,” Mayor Thomas Koch said in a statement.

Fifteen pedestrians have been hit by cars in Quincy this year, or one roughly every 2½ days. The tally from Jan. 1 through Feb. 7 appears to be the highest in several years.

State crash data from 2005 through 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, shows that the most accidents to have occurred at this point in a given year was 10, in 2008. The average over those five years was 6.6.

Quincy’s total pedestrian- and bicycle-accident count from 2005 to 2009 tied for ninth-highest in the state.

A total of 71 pedestrians were hit in Quincy last year, police said.

This year’s accidents have been spread out throughout the city. Keenan said police believe the numbers have been high early this year because of the mild weather, which brings out more walkers.

Though some accidents – including the Jan. 31 one that killed Wendy Chow of Quincy – remain under investigation, police have only seen fit to cite drivers in three of them.

Keenan said the education campaign needs to stress to pedestrians that while drivers are required to stop for people in crosswalks, that doesn’t mean it’s safe to cross indiscriminately.

“You do have the right of way when you’re in a crosswalk, but if you get hit, there’s no solace in that,” he said.

Keenan said ticketing jaywalkers is not likely to make a dent in the problem, largely because state law allows only a $1 fine for the infraction.

Page 2 of 2 - As part of the city campaign, police are likely to target accident locations and tightly enforce speed limits and red-light violations, Keenan said.

Wendy Landman, executive director of WalkBoston, a group that advocates for pedestrian and bicycle safety, said a key contributor to unsafe pedestrian habits is the timing of walk signals.

“Are pedestrians being asked to wait for such a long time to get a walk signal that they’re basically getting frustrated and crossing against the light?” she asked. “That’s a trigger for behavior that you wouldn’t want to see.”

Citing the recent accidents, the city council voted Monday to ask the mayor to create a new traffic commission, which could regularly call on traffic experts to review safety conditions.